Method of and machine for assembling springs



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METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR ASSEMBLING SPRINGS Filed May 51, 1927 l8Sheets-Sheet l8 IUD/(2777157? LTo/vz]! Gall Patented May 20, 1930UNITED, STATES JOHN F. GAIL, OF

PATENT OFFICE" EVANSTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO SIMMONS COMPANY, OF NEWYORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE METHOD OF AND MACHINE FORASSEMBLING SIP RINGS Application filed May 31,

This invention relates to the artof spring assembling, and has referencemore articularly to methods and machines emp oyed in the manufacture ofs ring mattresses, cush- 6 ions and the like, suc for instance, as thegether, and the whole enclosed in a suitablev cover or casing.

In an a plication filed by me on the 26th day of Fe bruary, 1926,SerialNo. 90,892, I have disclosed an organized machine for the 2manufacture of such spring filled strips which includes mechanism forholding and conveying the two-ply fabric strip, formin the pocketstherein, forming the sprin s an inserting the latter in the pockets, ancom- I pletely closing the latter leaving the springs distended inoperative position within the pockets. The machine of my presentinvention is of the same general character as the machine of myaforesaid application, but in- 30'volves a num er of changes, notably inthe spring inserting mechanism and in the pocket stitching mechanism.In'the machine of my aforesaid ap lication the coil springs compressedinto attened form are inserted edgewise into the successive pockets withtheir axes transverse to the longitudinal axis of the. pocket, and afterthe pockets have been completely closed the sprm s are operated upon bya mechanism which tilts them 40 througha right angle so as to bringtheir axes parallel or coincident with the longitu dinal axes of thepockets so as to permit the springs to expand thefull length of thepockets.

One object of my present invention is to obviate the necessity of emloying a spring tilting mechanism, and to t at end my present inventionemploys a mechanism whereby the flattened springs are inserted into thepockets with their axes parallel orcoincident 1927. Serial No. 195,405.

with the longitudinal axes of the pockets. In

the machine of my aforesaid a plication the individual. pockets of asing e continuous strip are divided by a single line of stitchingbetween ad'acent pockets. For economy of operation t e spring filledstrips are manufactured in considerable lengths, and in the subsequentmanufacture of the mattress or cushion each long strip is cut intoseveral shorter strips of the required lengths. This necessitates therestitching of each shorter strip at one end. Another object of mypresent invention is to provide an im roved stitching mechanism wherebya contlnuous long strip designed to be subsequently cut into a number ofshorter strips may be don'- ble stitched by spaced-parallel seams atpoints corresponding to the intended divisions between the short stripsections, whereby the long strip may be divided at points between 70 thedouble seams, thus obviating the necessit of subsequently resewing oneend of eac shorter strip. In the accomplishment of the last-named objectI employ a sewing machine equipped with a pair of laterally spacedneedle bars and needles. One of these needles is operated at each travelof the machine across the strip, while the other is idle except at theintended points of division on the stri when it iscoupled to the mainneedle bar an operates with the latter to form a double seam. Means areprovided for securing an extra length of fabric between adjacent pocketsat this point so as to afford room for the two parellellines ofstitching, and preferably also there is associated with the extra needlebar and needle a cutter which operates to sever the strip midway betweenthe twolines of stitching.

Still other objects and attendant advantages of the invention will beapparent to persons skilled in the art. as the same becomes betterunderstood by reference to the following detailed description, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings wherein I 95 have illustrateda practical and efiicient embodiment of the principle of the invention,and in which- Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the machine; Fig. 2 is anenlarged side elevation of the upper portion of the fast and slow drivesof the fabric strip conveyor and the longitudinal stitcher and the fastand slow drives of the transverse stitcher;

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view of the ma chine, on the line 4-4 of Fig.1;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the spring coiler and spring conveyor,and the longitudinal stitcher;

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the fabric conveyor, and the longitudinalstitcher;

Fig. 7 is a detail elevation of the gear drive of the fabric conveyor,viewed from the right of Fig. 15;

Fig; 8 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinalsection of the spring positioning mechanism;

Fig. 9 is a horizontal longitudinal section of the left hand half of thespring positioning mechanism shown in Fig. 8, on the line 9-9 of thelatter figure;

Fig. 10 is a horizontal section through the head portion of thepositioning mechanism, showing an advanced position of certain of theparts;

Fig. 11. is an enlarged vertical transverse section on the line 1111 ofFig. 8;

Fig. 12 is an enlarged vertical transverse section on the line 1212 ofFig. 8;.

Figs. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 are vertical transverse. sectionsthrough the machine taken on the correspondingly numbered linesrespectively of Fig. 4;

Fig. 14 is an enlarged sectional detail of a portion of the fabricsupport and conveyor;

Fig. 19 is an end elevation viewed from the left of Fig. 4;

Fig. 20 is a rear elevation of the left hand portion of the machine;

Fig. 21 is a vertical section through. the fast and slow drive pulleysof the transverse stitcher and the clutch controlling the same;

Fig. 22 is an enlarged view of a portion of Fig. 20, showing a differentposition of certain parts;

Fig. 23 is an elevation of a sewing machine stop mechanism, forarresting the sewing action at the completion of each transverse seam;

Fig. 24. is a longitudinal section on the line 24-24: of Fig. 23;

Fig. 25 is a transverse section on the line 25-25 of Fig. 23;

Fig. 26 is a detail, in longitudinal section, through the clutch shifterof the fast and slow sewing machine pulleys;

Fig. 27 is a front elevation of the twin needle sewing machine head andlooper mechanism, showing also a cutter for sever ing the strip betweenthe parallel seams;

Fig. 28 is a side elevation of Fig. 27; viewed from the right of thelatter figure;

Fig. 29 is a horizontal section through the looper mechanism taken onthe line 2929 of Fig. 27;

F ig..30 is a horizontal section taken on the line 303O of Fig. 28;

Fig. 31 is a top plan view of the needle bar clutch mechanism, showingthe clutch disengaged taken on the line 3131 of Fig. 27;

Fig. 32 is a view similar to Fig. 31 showing the clutch engaged;

Fig. 33 is a perspective elevation of the twin needle bars and theclutch and clutchoperating mechanism through which they are connectedfor simultaneous operatlon;

Fig. 34 is a vertical section. on the line 3434 of Fig. 18, of a clampwhich folds the opposite sides of the fabric around an inserted coilspring to hold the strip in position favorable for the cross-stitchingof the plies alongside the spring;

Fig. 35 is a plan view of a portion of a partly fillled and stitchedstrip, illustrating the single and double lines of stitching emp y Fig.36 is a longitudinal section through the left hand portion of Fig. 35 onthe line 3636 of said figure;

Fig. 37 is a transverse section through an open portion of the strip onthe line 3737 of Fig. 35;

Fig. 38 is a transverse section through a closed portion of the strip onthe line 38-38 of Fig. 35;

Fig. 39 is a transverse section on the line 3939 of Fig. 35, the samebeing a longitudinal section through a filled and closed pocket;

Fig. 40 is a plan, broken out between its ends, of a completed andsevered short filled strip, representing the final product of themachine.

GenemZ organization Referring first to Figures 1, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9, Iwill first briefly identify the several principal cooperating mechanismsmaking up the complete machine, and I will then proceed to a descriptionof these mechanisms in detail. 1 designates a flat rectangular baseplate or platform, on one of the rear corners of which is mounted anautomatic spring coiling machine designated as an entirety by A. Mountedon and extending lengthwise of the front of the platform 1 is afolded-fabric guide and carrier, designated as an entirety by B, thesame including a continuously traveling group of sprocket chainscooperating with a corresponding group of supports which respectivelyengage with the folded edge and the free edges of the two-ply fabricstrip and by means of pins carried by thechains advance the strip overthe respective supports, maintainin the free edges of the strip suitablyspace for the insertion of coil springs therebetween. Back of the fabricguide and

